E53 on Ice!

[StephenVA]

Having lived in the Wash DC area all my life, I thought this area was full of termainally stupid winter drivers. 3 - 4 times each year we get a freezing snow layer with powder snow on top, making the streets icy and slippery. No real big deal. The local population drives with one of two options:
1. No clue there is snow and it changes the dynamics of start/stopping?
2. Creepers, no cleaning of windows (just the porthole in the windshield). 15 miles an hour all the time. Slow up hills (insert the word crawl) and stops on top so if you are behind your butt is now dead on the uphill side.

I figured that since they only see snow a few times a year that it must be a local thing.

Then I flew up to Boston for business on the first snow day a few years ago. Same thing. One of the locals said this happens every year. "The bad drivers wreck early in the winter. Their cars are repaired by late winter so they never learn how to drive in bad weather. The next season it starts all over again."

As these words came out of his mouth we watched a driver (female) slide down a three block hill with all four wheels locked up, waving her arms franticly (def: Action characterized by great haste and excitement and a great deal of usually disorganized activity), slides through the intersection, then slaps the car into park as it bounces off the curb on the the sidewalk. Gets out, slams the door, hits the car with her purse, while yelling to no one in particular, that the "damn car would not be moving until spring". Case closed, Bad drivers are everywhere. The weather just brings out Darwin's gene pool loosers into full display. No training, no experience, no driver skills, just stab, steer, and text while driving. Situation awareness - not required. The classic "Cars are just transportation" crowd. In the DC area we call them granola eating Prisus owners....

Oh, my X5 loves the snow and is ROCK solid on traction and handling in the stuff. New Michelins all season tires were the trick to play.. Nothing more fun than seeing the rooster tails coming off those monster rear tires on take off in the rearview mirror. Now it is washing time as they use salt around here like it is free.